Kano arrests 200 residents for violating COVID protocol

The Kano government says 200 residents have been arrested for violating the COVID-19 protocol in the state.

In a statement made available to TheCable on Monday, Muhammad Garba, the state commissioner for information, said of the total number of violators, 102 persons were fined N5,000 each.

He added that 25 others have been remanded in prison by the mobile courts in the state.

According to the commissioner, the measure was necessary to ensure public safety and full compliance with the COVID-19 protocol, particularly the use of face masks.

He added that it was also in response to the new variant of the virus which calls for caution.

Garba said the enforcement is led by the Kano road traffic agency (KAROTA), with the collaboration of the police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Services (DSS), and the COVID-19 marshals, adding that it is being executed in strategic locations across the state.

The commissioner called for the cooperation of the public, and warned that any resident who refused to adhere to the safety protocol would be arraigned before a mobile court.

He assured residents of the government’s commitment to improving on enlightenment and persuasion to halt the rising number of infections in the state.

So far, 3,314 confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been recorded in Kano, including 2,841 recoveries and 92 deaths.